


The One True Starker Prompt

by KassWritesStarker



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Falling In Love, Insecure Peter Parker, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23683969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KassWritesStarker/pseuds/KassWritesStarker
Summary: A collection of Starker One-Shots
Relationships: Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	The One True Starker Prompt

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is just a little project I've decided to do where I take prompts from the OTP prompt generator and write a quick Starker One-Shot for them! All of these will be posted on my Tumblr as well.  
> I'll update this as time goes by and for now, here is the first prompt.   
> 
> 
> Prompt: Peter staring admiringly at Tony from across the room. A friend whispers into Peter's ear: 'Why are you so thirsty?'

Peter does his best to lean casually against the wall with a drink in his hand and his mind as far away as possible from the conversation he’s attempting to maintain. He hopes that he’s not missing anything too important and that Ned isn’t going to be too cross with him once he finds out how little attention Peter is paying him. 

It’s not his fault that across the room, Tony Stark has decided to look like the personification of beauty. Honestly, it should be illegal to look that good. The man is dressed impeccable, his slightly dishevelled hair and neatly trimmed goatee add perfectly to his black tux and bow tie. Yes, he looks goddamn edible, something that not only Peter has noticed. 

He’s stolen glances at Mr Stark all evening and pretty much every time his gaze had found the man in the crowd of strangers, he’d been with someone. Granted, some of the people talking to him hadn’t looked as interested in Mr Stark’s body and more in whatever came out of his mouth and how much money that meant for them but Peter isn’t stupid and the number of women he’d witnessed pressing themselves against his mentor had outweighed the number of potential business partners by a lot. 

Peter has long ago realized that he’ll never be able to compete with the beautiful strangers that offer themself to Mr Stark on a daily basis. Not that he blames them for it. If he was any more courageous, he’d do the same thing. In a heartbeat. But Peter, as bold and cocky as he is when he’s swinging around Queens and bantering with the villain of the week, can’t bring himself to take that step. Unlike those women, he’s got too much to lose.

Sure, Mr Stark has flirted with him in the past but doesn’t the man flirt with literally _everyone_? Those offhand comments that had been directed at him over the workbench when the two of them had been tinkering the day away… he couldn’t take those for bare coin. It would be nice to read more into them than he should, let himself get carried away into an alternate reality where Tony Stark _wants_ him, where he wants Peter Parker and no one else. But at the end of the day, Peter stops himself from doing so. 

The last thing he wants is to risk the friendship he’s developed with the man if he decided to reject Peter. Which, let’s be honest, is what would happen, right? As if the universe wants to answer his question, Peter watches as yet another woman boldly walks up to his mentor and immediately loops her arms through Mr Stark’s. From where he’s standing, it looks like she’s trying to get pull him towards the dance floor. 

Peter’s heart starts beating wildly in his chest as he anxiously awaits his mentor’s reaction. Is he going to take the woman up on the offer? Is he going to dance with her slowly for a few minutes before his hands start to wander across her lower back, before the heavy silence or the flirtatious banter isn’t enough anymore and he decides to take her home? Home where they are going to fall into his bed and—

“Why are you so thirsty?” 

Ned’s voice in his ear is so sudden and unexpected that Peter nearly lets go of the drink he’s barely touched all evening. His spidey senses pull through and he manages to catch himself before something embarrassing gets him the attention of the crowd. Peter whips around, already glaring daggers at his friend. 

“What the hell, man?” 

“Hey, don’t look at me like that,” Ned says with a smirk of his own. “You haven’t listened to a word I’ve told you for the past 10 minutes or so. The least you can do to compensate that is to allow me to tease you for it.” 

There isn’t really anything that Peter can say to that so he mumbles a curse under his breath and turns back towards the gathering. “It wasn’t 10 minutes. Don’t overexaggerate.” His eyes frantically scan the dance floor in search for Mr Stark but the man doesn’t appear to be there. 

“He’s still standing where you've practically undressed him with your eyes earlier.” 

Peter decides to pointedly ignore that comment in favour of proving its rightfulness. Indeed, Mr Stark is still standing amidst the flood of people, now talking to a man of similar age who appears to fall in the business partner category. The realization that he hasn’t taken up the woman on her offer shouldn’t be that much of a relief but it is. And Peter has promised himself to stop lying about his feelings, at least to himself. 

“You should just go over there and ask him out, Pete. Seriously, you’re beating yourself up over here.” Ned nudges him with his elbow. “Allow yourself a chance at least. He can’t say yes if you never ask.”   
  
“But he can’t say no either,” Peter replies drily, never taking his eyes off his mentor. Why did he have to fall in love with Tony Stark of all people? It’s just not _fair_. It’s hard enough to experience heartbreak but when said heartbreak happens thanks to the most notorious playboy in the world, it feels even more pathetic. 

Ned sighs and out of the corner of his eye Peter can see his friend shake his head. If in either exhaustion or defeat is up for debate. Probably both. 

“He’s invited you to this fancy gala or whatever this is. _And_ I’ve seen the way you two interact. Come on, Pete. He _likes_ you. Don’t be so dense and do something about it!” 

Peter grits his teeth and tries to get Ned to lower the volume of his voice. It’s bad enough that they are discussing this with the man in question in the same room but if Mr Stark actually _hears_ what his friend is saying? Peter would be so dead. 

“Give it up, Ned,” he mutters and now Peter does take a big sip of whatever is in his glass. It must be some fancy drink but to him, it just tastes gross. Maybe he should have asked for water. “Look at the people around him. That’s his life. I’m just… I don’t know. I’m not meant to be part of that.” 

“Right.” Ned sounds everything but convinced. “Then why is he heading for us right now?”   
  
“What?!” 

Peter hasn’t realized that his gaze had dropped to the floor and he’s lost sight of Mr Stark. He lifts his head just in time to see his mentor excusing himself from his partner and then making a beeline for the two younger men. Peter feels like he’s going to collapse in his spot, the fear growing stronger with every step Mr Stark takes until... 

Until he’s standing right in front of him, hazel eyes locked with Peter’s own. He can’t breathe and for a moment it looks like neither can his mentor. He distinctly notices Ned slipping away, leaving them alone. Still, Peter doesn’t move, not sure what his mentor could possibly want from him. Then, there is a warm hand on his arm and Peter is sure that Mr Stark has somehow managed to start a fire inside his chest. 

“Would you like to dance?” 

How embarrassing would it be to faint in the man’s arms? Peter isn’t about to find out. No, he’s about to find out what it feels like to dance with Tony Stark, what it feels like to be held by him and maybe, _just maybe_ , how it feels to be wanted. 


End file.
